David L. Paterson

An Award-winning playwright and screenwriter, David has penned over two-dozen plays, 15 of which are published through Samuel French, Inc. His works have been performed on Broadway, Off Broadway and throughout the world. He is the only playwright ever to have three plays premiere on the New York City stage in one month.
David was a Sundance New Play finalist, a two-time finalist for ATL’s National 10 minute play contest, winner of Urban Stages Emerging Playwright and School Library Journal’s Educational Press awards.
In 2005 David began writing for film. He adapted his play FINGER PAINTING IN A MURPHY BED into a screenplay and produced it. As LOVE, LUDLOW, the film premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews; “Another Sundance treasure!” Roger Ebert reported. David sold the film to The Sundance Channel, Starz and Warner Home Video. LOVE, LUDLOW was one of the few success stories of Sundance 2005. The screenplay was nominated for the HUMANITAS award for excellence in screen writing.
David recently adapted his short play, WHEN CHILDREN STUMBLE, into the short film, OPEN AIR, starring MUNICH’s Lynn Cohen. OPEN AIR won numerous awards on the festival circuit and premiered on Shorts International.
David’s latest film, THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINS, starring Glenn Close, Octavia Spencer, Kathy Bates and Julia Stiles is opening in theaters this fall. David’s stage version, THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINS: The Musical, premiered for a sold out, limited run on Broadway in April 1998. The New York Times exclaimed “Rewards in abundance await audiences fortunate enough to see this excellent, bittersweet play…” That same month his play, PIECES OF THE SKY opened Off Broadway to stellar reviews and both GILLY and PIECES made TIMEOUTNY’s top critic picks list.
In addition to being a playwright, David is a professional stuntman, an adjunct professor of screenwriting for NYIT of Manhattan, and serves on the Film Advisory Board for the Savannah, Gold Coast and Big Apple Film Festivals. David has served as a panelist for numerous film festivals and playwriting programs in the U.S. and abroad, and is in great demand as a guest lecturer and motivational speaker at colleges, Universities and writer symposiums.
David has also written for The New York Times, The School Library Journal, Moviemaker Magazine, and IndieSlate, among others. He is also a fireman; his memories as a 9/11 rescue worker were published in the novel 911-Book of Help, with his royalties going to scholarships for children who lost parents in the tragedy.
Recent Lectures/Articles by David Paterson available upon request: